Leon Osman: The club and majority of Everton fans are still behind Lampard

Former England midfielder Leon Osman has told William Hill that he, the club, and the majority of Everton fans still support Frank Lampard and are optimistic that the club’s run of bad results will improve.

Speaking at the launch of William Hill’s new shop in Liverpool Central, Osman said: “Duncan Ferguson showed in his brief stints as a caretaker manager that he has the heart and belief to win games; he has shown that. Whether he is ready for that challenge, I don’t know. 

“What I do know is that Frank Lampard is in charge, and the players and the majority of the fans are still behind him because there are times when he has shown exactly what the club and the players are capable of. The run we went on at the end of last season was absolutely fantastic. We have just got away from that and what brought that success. I’m sure Lampard will be hoping the team can get back to that as soon as possible.

“When I was at the club, the majority of my time playing there was under one manager, David Moyes. I was there for 19 years, and to only play under three or four managers the whole time is much different to how it is at the club now; they’ve had six managers in six years!”

The former midfielder, who played 433 times for Everton in his 19-year career at the club, recognised the importance of building a system to improve with one manager rather than looking to switch up as soon as the club hit a bad run.

He said: “Lampard will have been under pressure since he joined the club. Every manager is under pressure immediately; that’s the way football is these days. You have to get results and give good performances, and Lampard was brought in to try and propel the club forwards and improve things. But the club has found itself adrift and down; it has been hard for the club. He won’t be under any illusions; he knows that performances and results need to improve.

“There is still real expectations that they will win something soon. Even though Everton haven’t claimed any silverware since 1995, there is an expectation that the club will bring success every year. The club have had an awful lot of money to spend, and it’s been well-documented that it hasn’t been spent as successfully as would have been hoped. It’s frustrating for everyone concerned, the people working with the players, the people identifying the players, it’s frustrating. On the field, the players need to get their heads down and find a way to win. Hopefully, as far as the club is concerned, it turns around.”

Analysing the problems on the pitch, Osman suggested that a lack of attacking flair could be the cause for Everton’s lack of wins and goals.

He said: “I think Everton need a few attacking players. They have only scored 14 goals in 18 games; they need a number nine who scores 20-30 goals a season and some midfielders that add some too. It’s not all down to the strikers. As an attacking team, Everton, this season, haven’t been up to the job, so that is where I would strengthen.”